The American Bulldog is a temperamental dog, athletically built, strong and strong. Dogs have a stocky and powerful skeleton, bitches have a more sophisticated appearance. The breed is defined as working, the country of origin is the United States of America.
Breed history
The dog breed American Bulldog is closely intertwined with the English Bulldog. Its name was first mentioned in England in the sixteenth century. The bloody sport was gaining popularity at that time, when bulls were bullied by specially trained dogs. It was called bull-beating, and the word "bulldog" in translation from English means "bull dog."
These animals were bred for fights with bulls that were larger than their size and strength, and for fighting armed people. A dog of this breed should have strength, fearlessness and endurance, a strong-willed character, a high pain threshold, and unquestioningly carry out the owner's commands.
Surprising is the fact that the bulldogs did not show unintentional aggression towards humans, it was almost impossible to get them out of themselves. This once again proves that the American bulldog, whose photos are simply amazing, is a faithful and fearless companion of man.
Such a striking poise of the animal can be explained by the fact that, when confronted with a bull, the loss of composure and control over the situation could lead to inevitable death. Later, immigrants from Britain began to come to America with their dogs. On the farms, these pets were simply irreplaceable: they hunted with them, they guarded the livestock and farmers' property. It is believed that the modern American bulldog descended from the Old English Bulldog and Bullmastiff.
At first sight
The appearance of this dog suggests that it is intended for protection, and in combination with an impeccable instinct, it can be an excellent hunter for wild boars, foxes or work in the police as a search engine. The American Bulldog is immediately a matter of respect. He is distrustful of strangers, and is even wary of acquaintances. However, this pet is able to give its family members unlimited love and devotion.
Leo Tolstoy also had a bulldog. The writer appreciated his mind and the bewitching beauty, devotion, courage and selflessness. He even dedicated a small series of stories to Bulka (that was the name of the pet). In one of them, Tolstoy bitterly tells how his friend was bitten by a wolf on a hunt, after which Bulka fell ill with rabies, escaped from the owner and died near the house.
In addition to Leo Tolstoy, this breed was appreciated and given its preference by such celebrities as Charlize Theron, Alexander Rosembaum, Brad Pitt, Reese Witherspoon.
American Bulldog: breed characterization
In recent years, experienced dog handlers and true connoisseurs of this breed have identified two main lines of the breed.
The first group includes individuals with pronounced muscles and strong protective instincts. This is a classic breed line called the Jackson type. Dogs belonging to the second line are mostly used in hunting to chase and hold a large beast. Their muscles are less developed, but they have a more athletic physique. This is the standard line of the American Bulldog, or Scott's type.
Over the past few years, these two lines of the American bulldog have been actively crossing, which can make it possible to obtain a breed with well-developed muscles, but retaining endurance and athletic abilities. In fact, this is a very successful experiment, as the result is a versatile dog - an American bulldog, which has absorbed all the advantages of the Scott and Johnson types, capable of equally performing both protective and hunting functions.
Animal character
The main character trait of the American bulldog (when faced with it, certain difficulties may arise) is its desire for leadership. And if two individuals of the same sex live under the same roof, then certainly there is no escape from problems, since the dog will not tolerate even a hint of competition. At the same time, the American bulldog is not only a strong and formidable dog, a reliable defender, but also a friendly friend, madly in love with his family. He is not averse to frolic with children if they behave respectfully. His patience can only be envied. The owner of such a dog must be a confident person. And if you timely attach the frequent impulses to domination and the desire to dominate other animals, you can ensure that your bulldog gets along with other pets living in the house.
Do not confuse aggressiveness with the innate courage that an American bulldog possesses. The description of the breed says: a feature of the character of the bulldog is that it is able to carefully think through the situation, keep it under control. For no apparent reason, he will not rush into battle. In a dangerous situation, it may appear that the dog becomes cold-blooded. However, she is only considering a line of defense and behavior. The owner may not be able to stop his pet if he appreciated the threat. The American Bulldog, whose photo is able to charm at first sight, is very smart. The animal is able to make decisions on its own.
Young bulldogs are quite hostile to strangers, so if you love guests, you need to socialize the dog from puppyhood so that it does not grow up unfriendly and suspicious. Over the years, your friend will learn to quickly assess situations, to distinguish good people from negative ones. Not only that, your American bulldog, whose character is quite versatile, thanks to an amazing mentality, will be able to distinguish between the degrees of threat and falsehood. In other words, it is unlikely to distract him from the work being done by simulated maneuvers.
Care and maintenance
There are few specific recommendations regarding the content of bulldogs. These are quite unpretentious dogs that feel good both in the apartment and in the courtyard of a private house. The American Bulldog has short hair, which is close to the body. Frequent water procedures are contraindicated for him, he needs to be completely bathed no more than twice a year. With frequent water procedures, the hair loses its luster, dry skin is observed. In process of pollution it is necessary to wipe a bulldog ears, eyes, nose with a damp cloth. Once a few months, cut his nails, if they do not grind naturally on asphalt.
The American Bulldog, whose photo is presented in this article, needs regular physical exertion. Therefore, as often as possible walk with your pet on the street. For him, it is more important not how much you spend time for a walk, but how many kilometers you will go. You can even go jogging or cycling with him.
Bulldogs are constantly chewing something. Thus, puppies develop a jaw that is not fully formed, while adults train an already formed one. Provide your friend with a special thick rubber toy or core bone. Ordinary, and especially
tubular, bones will not work - they clog the stomach and can damage the intestines.
Parenting and training
You need to start raising a little bulldog from the very first days, as soon as he appears in your house. Do not rely on the self-control and character traits that nature itself endowed with the animal. Without active human participation, the dog will grow out of control.
The general rules of upbringing apply to an animal of this breed, but there are also those that are specifically aimed at dogs of the American Bulldog breed. Owner reviews once again prove that they are pets with character.
Given their great tendency to dominate, puppies should not be allowed to bite themselves or other family members. Do not think that while the pet is small, this is just a game, and when it grows up, it will certainly understand that you can’t do this. In a strict confident voice, stop any attempt to bite, try to distract him with your favorite toy. If the puppy managed to do such a dirty trick, punish him. It can be a light shake by the collar, a slap of a twisted newspaper over the croup. In addition, a strict reprimand will be relevant.
Look at the photos of the American bulldog presented in this article. Puppies are able to charm, adult dogs amaze with their strength and beauty.
Adult bulldogs are strong and powerful dogs, so even a small puppy should not be allowed to pull the leash. The dog must be on par with the owner. Another point related to the strength of the bulldog: do not let him jump on people. Having run away, an adult dog can knock down an adult. And imagine what would happen if such a dog jumps on a child? Prohibit the dog from any causeless squabbles with other animals, stop the grin and growl in time.
Bulldogs quickly memorize teams. They like to learn something new. The main thing is that the owner should be firm and confident, ready at any time to convince a stubborn animal.
What is more unique than the American bulldog? Owner reviews are similar in many ways. This is a dog that wants to be considered its rights in the house. She is a great manipulator, capable of being a real angel for praise.
How to choose an American Bulldog puppy?
You have already read a lot of information about this breed, have considered all the pros and cons, and you have firmly decided: “I want this dog to become my most faithful and devoted friend at all costs!” Please take responsibility for acquiring a puppy, because this is the most important stage in your future life together. When choosing a dog, many are interested in price. An American bulldog is not a very expensive animal, pricing depends on the exterior and characteristics of a particular pet. We will dwell on this later.
Surely every dog breeder knows that it is best to choose a dog in kennels. Ask the breeder for parenting documents and a certificate of veterinary examination of each puppy. Do not choose your dog according to the advice of others, rely only on yourself in this matter. You can invite an experienced dog breeder or a breeder from the outside to help. Do not listen to puppy owners' advertisements about the countless titles their American bulldog has. Description of the breed will help you determine the choice of a really worthy puppy. You can travel around the litters with your own hands, look at the parents. As an option - at the exhibition, look ahead to the future mom or dad of the desired puppy.
Experienced breeders argue that it is impossible to raise a strong and beautiful bulldog when there were 10-16 puppies under the mother. Choose a baby from a litter that includes no more than 6 individuals. If all puppies are left in the litter, this is obviously not for breeding, but only because of the money.
Puppies of the American bulldog come in a wide variety of colors, but remember that white is their primary color, it should be at least 30%. At the same time, continuous sand colors with a dark mask are unacceptable. It is likely that in the family of such a bulldog a “bullmastiff” “slipped”. Black color without the so-called tiger spots can hint at the blood of a rottweiler or pit bull.
Healthy American Bulldog puppies should be well-fed, active, agile, with a wet nose and clean ears. If you notice that the peanut is too cowardly or, conversely, overly aggressive, it is better to abandon it.
What is unacceptable in the exterior of an American bulldog?
And now we begin to consider the exterior of this animal. As mentioned earlier, this is a strong stocky dog of athletic build. Males are more stocky, females are more refined.
A dog of this breed should not be too cowardly and timid, unjustified aggression towards people or other animals is also unacceptable. In relation to the general structure of the body and size, the head of the ambulo should be relatively wide and large. An excessively narrow head and muzzle are unacceptable in this breed. The dog should not have strabismus, asymmetries of the organs of vision.
The movements of the American Bulldog are fast, agile, a pronounced springiness of the step is observed. During movement, the paws should not be too wide apart or cross. For the classical type, the so-called rolling gait is permissible - a wobble and slight swaying of the back of the body during movement.
According to the ABNA standard, dogs with deafness, castrated dogs or cryptorha dogs, and bitches during estrus are not allowed in the shows.
Possible diseases
It is worth talking about the problems that American bulldogs often face. The dogs in question are prone to allergies. This is usually a problem that lasts throughout the life of the pet, which requires the owner to follow a specially designed diet. There are also one-time allergic reactions, for example, to an insect bite, a chemical, a reagent on the city streets. This is not a big problem and disappears after the termination of the effect of an irritating factor on the body. Acquired or hereditary allergies to food bring great inconvenience to the owner, so before buying a puppy it is important to talk with the breeder about this topic.
Another ailment of the bulldogs, which brings the owner many problems, is dysplasia of the hip or elbow joints. This is a very serious disease, sometimes requiring surgical intervention. Joint problems in bulldogs entail years of ongoing treatment. Serious stages of the disease knock the dog out of the rut, prevent it from leading a full-fledged lifestyle. Dysplasia cannot be determined by eye from the movements of the animal or by its appearance. Only computer diagnostics of the joints for this disease is able to identify the problem.
Interesting Facts
- The current name of the breed arose only at the end of the twentieth century. Prior to this, the dog was called like this: “white Englishman”, “southern bulldog”, and “English blond”.
- It has been repeatedly said about the quick wits and smart bulldog. So, the intelligence of this dog is higher than that of Dobermans, Caucasian Shepherds, Mastiffs, Staffordshires and Rottweilers.
- In the American standard of this breed, in the section "Morals", the following was written: "Protection of the owner in any situation, even at the cost of his own life."
- If the bulldog is passionate about the fight, he is practically insensitive to injuries and pain.
Many are interested in the question of how much an American bulldog costs. A puppy without a pedigree on average can be bought for $ 120. If there is a pedigree, the cost increases. Puppies not intended for breeding and shows are sold for $ 350. This is the average price. An American bulldog with a good pedigree, intended for exhibitions and pedigree breeding, can cost about 800-850 dollars.